The meaning of dysfunctional
by Sailor Wade
Summary: (Formerly Pietro's childhood) UPDATED. Beginning from when things began to go seriously wrong, these are the lives of the people in or involved with the Maximoff-Lensherr family.
1. Beginning of the end of the dream

The Meaning of Dysfunctional  
  
By Sailor Wade  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-men Evolution, big surprise huh?  
  
*******  
  
"You can't catch me, you can't catch me" a small boy taunted another child chasing him through the deserted shopping mall.  
  
"Pietro, no one can catch you, let alone me" his chaser commented breathing heavily. She stopped and sat down, her black and white dress sitting awkwardly due to her petticoats.  
  
"Aww you're no fun Wanda, you're too slow." Pietro commented, sticking his tongue out at her.  
  
"Freeze mister" Pietro turned to the source, tongue hanging out of him mouth. A lady in her thirties, with blonde hair wearing jeans and a jersey with 'Maximoff' printed on the back, approached the 5 year old. "What have I told you about sticking your tongue out at your sister?"  
  
"Douwn do ith?"  
  
"Right, now what do you say?  
  
"Sthowy Waaanda"  
  
"Now tongue back in mouth. Have either of you seen any open food stores?"  
  
"No"  
  
"No mama"  
  
"I'll go look now" and with that Pietro was off with a gust of wind. The lady rolled her eyes, then leant down and picked up her daughter.  
  
"What's the bet he comes back not having seen anything?" Wanda giggled just as Pietro showed up.  
  
"Find anything?"  
  
"Um. well.I kinda forgot to look"  
  
"Okay, we'll all go" and with that the small family set off around the mall. Little did they notice the numerous shadows following them. After searching 4 floors, they found a food court on the 5th floor. "What does everyone want?"  
  
"PIZZA" Wanda exclaimed  
  
"Yeah, pizza" Pietro added. His mother looked at him.  
  
"Pie-pie sweetie, you know you can't eat stuff like that, and we can't afford to have you sick," she said with a sorry look in her eye. It wasn't fair that because of his mutation, one he shouldn't even have yet, her son couldn't eat all the foods that the other children did. Pietro frowned.  
  
"Ok then, um.sushi"  
  
"One serving of Pizza and one of sushi coming right up" with that, the lady went see-through and passed through the solid door.  
  
"Some Role model huh kids?" The two children spun around to face one of the shadows. It stepped forward to revel a bulky man in black cloths and a balaclava. The two of them backed up against the steel door. "I mean, leading her two five year children to break into a shopping mall in the middle of the night? I'm almost glad she won't be around for much longer"  
  
"What do you mean?" Wanda questioned with more courage than she felt.  
  
"Hey princess, they didn't have ham and pineapple so I go you."  
  
"Hello Magda" the one of the man's companions said  
  
"Oh no" The lady grabbed her two children and pulled them through the steel door.  
  
"Mama looks scared, I think we're all in trouble" Wanda mused. Magda tried to calm herself down as she crouched by her children  
  
"Pietro, Wanda, I want you both to stay in here. But if the door breaks, I want you to find a safe place to hide, no buts understand?" the two children just nodded. She nodded back and shifted through door to face the group of men. She glared at them as they smirked at her.  
  
"Now now Maggie, you should know there's no way you're gunna get out of here with those children."  
  
"I'm not going to let them go back to that monster"  
  
"But you forget, Lord master Magneto doesn't care what you want for the children"  
  
"I know that, that's why you'll take them over my dead body"  
  
"That was our plan" Then the fighting began.  
  
********  
  
"What was that?" Wanda asked her brother, after hearing another loud crash outside.  
  
"I don't know, we should go check it out, Mama may need our help" Pietro said, his mother's warning furtherest thing in his mind. "Wanda, can you get us through the door?" She nodded and placed a hand up against the door. Seconds later, the metal dripped away and the two children ran through. What they saw scared them more than any nightmare they'd ever had in their short lives. Their indestructible mother, the same mother who chased away closet monsters, fixed numerous life threatening scrapes and healed them when they were sick, was lying in a pool of her own blood, being beaten and kicked by the group of men.  
  
"Hey you leave mama alone," Pietro shouted, running up to one and grabbing his arm as it drew back for a punch. The man flung Pietro into a wall. Wanda stayed where she was, but used her powers to fling the men away from Magda, draining most of her energy. She moved as fast as she could towards her mother.  
  
"Mama, are you ok?" Magda looked up painfully at her daughter.  
  
"Wanda, you and Pietro have to get away, they're after you, you have to get away," she uttered before slipping into unconsciousness.  
  
"Mama? MAMA! Wake up. Please" Wanda begged. Before she knew what was happening, her mother's body was being hoisted up and dragged away.  
  
"Give mama back," she demanded, throwing herself at the man. He threw her back and she hit the wall Pietro was unconscious under. One of the lackeys walked over to the children, one under each arm and followed the others out of the partially destroyed mall.  
  
*******  
  
Magneto entered the medical room, approaching Magda's bed. He ran a hand down the side of her face.  
  
"My dearest Maggie, why can't you see what I am doing is for the best. If my treatment works then no longer will mutants have to suffer through undeveloped powers. No longer will there be mutants in jail for accidentally killing normal at the onset of their powers and no longer will man kind have a reason to fear and hate us for fear of what might happen to them" He smiled emotionlessly, "And no longer will the world be divided in who they answer too, for I will rule it all" Magda, of course made no move, being under the influence of many knock out drugs. He took one last look at the mother of his children, before turning and leaving, cape billowing behind him.  
  
*******  
  
Pietro opened his eyes reluctantly, the bright light from above burning into his skull. He tried to remember what had happened but kept drawing blanks.  
  
'I was.somewhere.metal.with Wanda.pizza.red.mall.with mama.hurt.MAMA HURT?'  
  
"Where's Mama?" Pietro called into the near deserted room. Wanda lay still unconscious on a bed next to him. His head ached as the words he said reached his ears. He vaguely heard a door slide open and shut, and footsteps approaching him. Magneto's head came into view and Pietro groaned. It all made sense now.  
  
"You. You dosed me again didn't you" Pietro accused, closing his eyes against the invading light. Magneto nodded, amused at his son's terminology. 'Dosed' was Pietro-language treated. Magneto had exposed both Pietro and Wanda to another round of special radiation aimed at evolving their powers. As if on cue, objects began to fly around the room.  
  
"I see your sister is waking up" he commented, "I'll leave you to explain to her what just happened" and with that Magneto exited.  
  
*******  
  
Days turned into months and months turned into years, and Magneto continued to experiment on his children, all the while keeping his wife contained in a specially made cell. He informed the children that she ran whilst they were being loaded into the car and she didn't care enough to save them and was probably dead somewhere in a ditch. The two children however didn't believe this. They knew, no matter what he told them that she was still alive. One morning after a rather large treatment.  
  
Pietro lay sprawled out a couches feeling completely drained. His eyes kept darting uncontrollably around the room, and every so often he would hear a noise from down the hall. Wanda's powers were growing more and more uncontrollable each dose. Last time she accidentally set Pietro on fire. He grimaced at the memory, glancing quickly down at his burnt body. Luckily they had put the fire out before it got too bad, but most of his body was covered in 1st degree burns, with some 2nd degree patches. But fortunate for Pietro, Magneto not only had enough ice to freeze a polar bear, but also the largest collection of pain killing drugs he had ever seen. Just as he was getting nicely lost in thought, Magneto stormed into the room, grabbing Pietro's coat off the wall and throwing it to him.  
  
"Put it on, we're going out" Pietro obediently put it on, wincing a little in pain, as painkillers could only do so much.  
  
"Where are we going?" He asked. Magneto headed out of the room with Pietro at his heels, never once looking back.  
  
"Pietro, you love your sister right?" He asked. Pietro was shocked, what kind of a question was that?  
  
"Of course sir, with all my heart" he replied  
  
"And you only want to do what's best for her right?" Pietro nodded. He didn't like the way this was heading. Magneto continued, "I'm taking Wanda to a place where she will get help, her powers are uncontrollable and she is completely emotionally unstable after her last treatment. Will you help me? She trusts you will do what's best for her, more than myself." Pietro thought for a second before nodding. He had to help Wanda in any way possible. "She's in there, just convince her to come with us" Magneto punched in the code to the room Pietro dubbed 'The hissy fit room', the room used when ever Wanda's powers got out of hand.  
  
"Wanda? It's me Pietro" Pietro approached a huddled figure in the corner of the bare room and knelt down. She lifted her tear stained face to look at him.  
  
"Pietro, how are you?"  
  
"Fine" he lied, "How are you?"  
  
"Not too good Pie-pie, my head is spinning and thoughts that I don't even know what mean keep flying though my head and I want it to stop but it won't then I get out of control and then." Wanda's words became slurred due to her crying.  
  
"Father has found a place that he thi.knows will help you. Just come with us and we'll check it out, and you can stay for a while and if you don't like it you can come right home" It didn't matter to Pietro that he had no idea where he was talking about, if his father said it would held Wanda, then it was good enough for him. Wanda started to shake her head. "Ok then, how about we all just drive over there, and we can look at the outside of the place, and if you want to see more you can and if you don't then we'll all go home"  
  
"Promise?" Pietro smiled  
  
"I promise"  
  
As Wanda and Pietro came out of the room Magneto joined them, walking behind Pietro. When he was sure that Pietro was completely preoccupied with Wanda, he jabbed him with a needle. Pietro felt the needle, but believed it was just a muscle twinge, or a bug. However, he didn't notice that his mind was slowing down, past normal human stage and slower still, as he walked, his mind became black as the drug was taking affect. By the time they reached their destination, Pietro was completely out of it, barely hearing what was being said and not talking, just obeying whatever Magneto told him to do.  
  
~Get out of the car~  
  
~Don't say a word~  
  
~Stand next to me~  
  
~Don't look at her~  
  
~Get in the car~  
  
The next morning Pietro woke up alone in his and Wanda's room. It took a while for his mind to register what had happened the day before.  
  
'I'm so glad Wanda liked the institution, I only want her to be happy'  
  
Off in another part of the island castle Magneto smiled  
  
'That's one more obstacle out of my way' *******  
  
Author's Notes: This came from a dream I had, well, I dreamt a different ending in which they didn't get handed over to Magneto and it was sketchier, you all know how dreams are!! And I kept the mother alive for a reason, even if it didn't seem to make sense. If you liked this story, please review or mail me, if you didn't like this, constructive criticism is always welcome; flames make me a sad panda :( 


	2. Descent into madness

Wanda's Story: Part 1  
  
*******  
  
Where are we going? I don't recognize these places.  
  
Oh well I'll be fine, if Pietro and father think it's safe then I'll be okay.  
  
Wait, scratch that, if Pietro thinks it's okay then I'll go. I'd trust Pietro with my life. Thinking of him, he's awfully quiet, usually on car trips he's jumping out of his skin fidgeting and sticking his head out the window like a puppy dog. I'll have to ask him when we get back. I'm sure I won't like this place, I don't want to leave Pietro, he needs me, and I .I guess, I might need him too. Especially since mother left.  
  
I can't believe she'd just leave us like that, she fought through all those guards and soldiers to get us out of the place and protected us, with no thought of her own safety, only of us. Then she just leaves us? I mean father's an ok person, although Pietro's convinced he's drugging or poisoning us. I mean, that kid has a weird imagination, we've always gotten sick really easily, ever since a little before we got our mutations, doesn't he remember?  
  
I mean, our father may not be the most kind person, but he wouldn't drug us, he only wants the best for us, right?  
  
Oh we've stopped. Wow, what a place, it's just like the castle in my storybook. I wonder what that sign says, and who are those guys talking to father. Let's see, the sign, um.Ma.no, that's not right, me.ta...el.metal? No not metal, I'll try the other word.  
  
In..In.ssss.ta.too.tai..oh..n, huh, what the heck, instatotaion, that doesn't sound right, what was that rule, tion makes a sound like.um.hmmm.oh, shin, instatoshin, INSTATOSHIN? That's where Daisy from 'Rosewood Street' went, Rosewood institution for education. Darn, I forgot to set the tape, I hope we'll be back in time. Hey, maybe this is a place, where I'll learn to not be so dangerous.  
  
Ok Wanda don't think about it, you'll start crying again, and Pietro, isn't mad at you, you didn't mean to set him on fire.  
  
Ok, back to the other word, the men are coming over her and I want to know where we are before they start asking me questions, um.me.n.ta.l, Mental? I've heard that word before, but where. Oh yeah, Pie-pie says that when I go skitz, so that must make this a place for.for.for  
  
"NOOOOOO, Father, I'll try harder, I'll promise" the men grabbed her and started off towards the building. "FATHER."  
  
*******  
  
They left me.  
  
The both left me.  
  
How could they?  
  
And Pietro, he said I didn't have to stay, he said I could leave if I wanted. I want to leave. Please Pietro come and take me away from this place, I've seen enough, and last night was horrible.  
  
I had a bad dream and no one was there for me after. And what's worse is that I haven't woken up from this one.  
  
Please come and save me. You're the only one who can help me. Father won't come for me, I heard the guards talking. He demanded they put me in this jacket straight thing put me in the pillow room.  
  
I don't like him anymore, mother wouldn't have done this to me, and she loved me, so.my father must not love me.  
  
He must hate me.  
  
Well that suits me just fine. I don't like him either. Oh no, here comes Dr what's'isface.  
  
What was that?  
  
Am I ready for more treatment? You call electrocuting me treatment?  
  
I don't want to go.what's that, no NOT THE NEEDLE.no, I.I.I don't want to.oh I forget, so tired.  
  
*******  
  
I have to get out of here.  
  
This is all 'his' fault, that.that man.  
  
I can't even refer to 'him' as who 'he' is to me anymore. Not after leaving me here for a month.  
  
Oh Pie-pie, this plan of yours is going to be great, I mean, why else wouldn't you have rescued me by now. You will come and save me, I know it in my heart. I hope 'He' is treating you ok, well at least better than he treated me. I mean what kind of a fath.person does this to his dau.another person.  
  
What kind of a mother deserts her children whilst they're being kidnapped?  
  
What kind of brother.NO Pietro's trying to save me, it's just that man, yeah that man is preventing him, Pie-pie doesn't want me to be in here, he wants me out, but 'He' is stopping him.  
  
Yeah, that's the way it is....I hope.  
  
*******  
  
'He' will pay for this.  
  
I will not be caged like an animal.  
  
I am a god- dammed human being for Christ sake. 'He' will pay dearly for this; it's all 'his' fault.  
  
And Pietro.I'll bet he was in on this all along, that's why he was so quiet on the way here and why he didn't help me when they dragged me in here. That bastard, he pretended to love me, to care about me and for what.just to get rid of me.  
  
I was just an inconvenience to him, I bet he set himself on fire and then blamed it on me. That's what he did.  
  
I can't believe he did that, just to get back at me. He must hate me as much as 'He' does, maybe even more. Well if that's the way he wants it then fine, he's on the list. I'll get him as soon as I get rid of 'Him'.  
  
*******  
  
Oh great here comes Guard 'I got a pole sticking so far up my ass it's pushing on my brain', what does he want?  
  
A visitor? Me? Who would want to visit me?  
  
A guy in a wheelchair? I don't believe this.  
  
Ohhh Professor Charles Xavier, what the hell do you want from me?  
  
You want to help me, yeah right, like I haven't heard that a million times before.  
  
You want to talk about me? And why I'm so uncontrollable? And.HOW DARE YOU MENTION THOSE BASTARDS? I HAVE NO FAMILY.  
  
Everyone has a family you say? Well I guess that makes me a no one then, because I don't have one. What about who? THEY'RE NOT MY FAMILY.  
  
Ha ha ha ha that showed you, you play with fire and ya gunna get burned. That was fun I think I'll do that again, I.I.  
  
What are you doing? You're inside my head. Get out, get out, GET OUT.  
  
Ouch, I bet that hurt, I told you, don't mess with me.  
  
What was that, you want to help me with my anger? There's a laugh. I guess this guy's ok, he's amusing; I think I'll keep him around.. Until I grow bored.  
  
*******  
  
Where are you taking me, I don't want to go, I want to stay in my room today. No, not the jacket again.  
  
Don't let my hands move, even a little? I see they've learned from last time.  
  
God, let me out of this thing, just a little more and I'll have my hand.got it.  
  
Bye bye guards.  
  
Bye bye camera.  
  
Bye bye lights.  
  
Yes that's right, run, you're scared now, as you should be. YOU ALL DESERVE TO DIE.  
  
I know you're here professor, I can feel your presence, prepare to meet your end, I grow tired of you.  
  
Bye bye door.  
  
Ha, these guards think they can stop me, think again fella's.  
  
I love the sound of walls collapsing. I'm almost there professor, are you scared?  
  
One door to go, correction, gone.  
  
There you are. PREPARE FOR THE END.  
  
What? No, get out of my head, you can't win this time I don't want you to, you have to die.you have to.stop it, please, you're hurting me.I'm so tired, used to much energy on the guards. Must remember that for next time.  
  
What? You'll be fine with out your little guard friends? Of course you will, you cheater, you were supposed to die, not live, die, come on.  
  
What was that? I seem very angry today? Well no shit Sherlock, did ya figure that out all by yourself?  
  
You were hoping we'd made more progress? Well to make progress, you actually have to do something baldy, since I never agreed, then I guess we didn't make any.  
  
Are they treating me well? I'm in a god-dam mental asylum, they think I'm worth nothing, I'm just some weird girl with the screwed up mind and I'm not human according to them.  
  
I'm not a human, I'm so much more with these powers, but the think I'm so much less.  
  
I want out, just get me out. Ah you stalled, you think like they do, that I'm nothing.  
  
You can't risk it, you say. I was right; you're just like them.  
  
Huh? Who's this, I've never seen him before. But hey, who cares, he's getting me away from baldy.  
  
The guards don't even recognize him and yet they let him through cause he's got a tag, I gotta get me one of those.  
  
I hate x-rays, the table's so cold and there goes Radiology, where is this guy taking me?  
  
Just keep moving? JUST KEEP MOVING? The last time someone didn't tell me where I was going, I ENDED UP HERE.  
  
YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME? That means nothing to me. I want to get out but not with you.  
  
Where are you taking me? The walls are crumbling; I must be more worried than I thought.  
  
Huh? A door? You're letting me out side? Who's this? And what's she saying?  
  
Oh, I'm so sleepy. I just want to sleep.hey did that guy just turn into a chick? Oh who cares I just want to sit down.  
  
*******  
  
Ok, so the doctor who didn't take me to radiology wasn't a doctor, but a shape-shifting mutant called Mystique. Mystique wants me to join her team. Hey, it might be all right. She's gunna help me get back at 'Him' and that's the main thing. To get revenge on 'Him' I'd do anything. Oh time for my big entrance, I wonder what.  
  
"PIETRO!"  
  
********  
  
Authors Notes: I know that jumped around a little but hopefully you got the gist. 


	3. My unknown betrayl

Pietro's story: Part 1  
  
*******  
  
~Get out of the car~  
  
~Don't say a word~  
  
~Stand next to me~  
  
~Don't look at her~  
  
~Get in the car~  
  
Pietro wearily opened his eyes. God I feel like I've been asleep for ever, Wanda's so gunna be mad at me for sleeping in so late. I wonder where she is anyway, she usually wakes me up? Oh my head, feels like it's full of cotton wool, everything's so hazy. We all went out yesterday? We never go out, all together, father avoids us unless necessary, so why would we.  
  
Now I remember.  
  
'I'm so glad Wanda liked the institution; I only want her to be happy. But I'll still miss her' Pietro muttered to the now seemingly much more empty room than before.  
  
*******  
  
"Hey Pietro," Vertigo, Magneto's helper called to me. I like Vertigo, she's so nice and she's got hair the same colour as me, not like Ruckus, he's just mean and what kind of a man has baby pink hair, honestly?  
  
"I got a letter from Wanda for you" Oh, she has a letter from.WANDA! "Really vertigo?" Did I just see her flinch then? Nah, she's smiling and nodding, I can't believe it, a letter from Wanda, it's been a whole week since she left.  
  
Dear Pietro,  
  
Hey shortie (Must she always call me that?) how are you? I'm great, the people here are really nice and I've made a heap of new friends. I still accidentally light things on fire and cause strange things to happen, but other than that, everything's great. Can't write anymore, we have art time now and I like it better than you ;p!  
  
Love Wanda  
  
*******  
  
I am sooooo bored. There is nothing to do in this castle. Magneto won't mind if I go for a bit of a walk, I mean I know he said to stay inside, but since when does he care what I do. Hmmm, what was that pass code for the main gate again. oh that's right 6468. Uh, loud noise, he must have the door bugged, I'd better get away.Now where am I? I must be the only 10 year-old who can get lost in under a second. I'd better ask directions from someone. Oh there's someone, what a coincidence.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"AAHHHH" Right, I wonder if this kid acts this way around all people. He looks the same age as me, I wonder why I haven't seen him before?  
  
"Sorry if I frightened you? My name is Pietro and I'm lost, can you tell me where I am?" It doesn't look like he understood me, mustn't speak English. Typical, why Magneto chose Germany to build a giant castle I'll never know.  
  
"I'm Pietro, where am I?" I suppose learning German wasn't a complete waste of time. And here I thought Magneto was the only one who spoke it.  
  
"Don't hurt me"  
  
"Hurt you, why would I do that? And will you come out of that bush, I don't like talking to plants" What's with this kid? I can just see his head poking out of a nearby bush, frowning at me.  
  
"Most people want to hurt me when they see me, or they want to take me away"  
  
"Why?" Now he emerges from the bush head tilted to the side and tail curled around his waist.  
  
"Cause I don't look like other people. Most people aren't blue and furry," Now I'm confused.  
  
"What? You don't look that weird to me. You look a lot more normal than some of the other people I've seen, and you seem a lot nicer than them too" That's an understatement, Mystique's practically a minion from hell and Leech, well, he's not mean, just odd. Now the other kids staring at me critically. He smiles and.whoa, he's got fangs, cool, I want fangs!  
  
"So you're really not afraid of me?" I shake my head again, "Wonderful, I'm Kurt by the way, Kurt Wagner,"  
  
"Pietro Maximoff"  
  
"What are you doing here, I didn't know any other children lived around here?"  
  
"Well, I don't live around here," Kurt's face fell, "At least I don't think I do, I'm lost, is there a giant castle around here?" I follow Kurt's finger and spot a castle off a bit in the distance, "I live there, well now I know how to get back home, do you want to play with me, I'm bored" He nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"I'd love too, I'm always bored, there's no-one around here, so what do you want to do?"  
  
"I think we should play tag, I'm good at that" He doesn't know I can run really fast, this ought to be fun.  
  
"Ok, I think that's a good idea" Kurt smirked. I wonder why, it's not like he has powers like me.  
  
"I think Pietro should get back to the castle before anyone finds out he's gone. Uh oh, too late" I know that voice, Ruckus. I fly backwards into a tree and sit dazed for a second before he grabs my collar and begins to drag me back to the castle. Kurt makes like he's going to come after us. I'd better motion him back, or he's gunna get hurt. He frowns before waving goodbye. I wave back as I watch him stand there and then.disappear??  
  
********  
  
Pietro ran, well it was actually jogging by his standards, but would look like running to any Normal.  
  
I have to find Magneto, Wanda's last letter said she's being released in a month, I hope we can go meet her when she get's out, I've missed her so much. It's been 3 years since I last saw her. I bet Magneto's in his lab. I know I'm not supposed to go in there, but this is important. Gosh those doors are heavy, anyone would think this was a dungeon, hey probably could have been for the last owners. And what's with all the stairs in this place, I mean who was the designer of this place, that American goof Richard Symmons or something, a fitness freak. No normal person needs this many stairs in a castle. Wow, this must be where Magneto makes all those 'treatments' he keeps jabbing me with. I should trash this place, that'd teach him, but then he probably wouldn't take me to see Wanda and make her stay there in spite of me, so better not. Hey wow what's that? It's so.oops, oh no what a mess. Huh? Voices? Uh oh. Gotta hide.  
  
There behind the bookcase, I'll be safe here.I hope. Huh, what's this button doing here? Only one way to find out. WOW the wall opened, just like in all those spy movies. How can I not go and check it out. Uh oh, the wall closed behind me, how will I get ou.Wow, checkout the giant TV. It looks so familiar.  
  
~flash~  
  
"No put me down, put me down, we have to go back, we can't leave here there" "Shuddup kid" ~flash~  
  
.that chair.  
  
~flash~ "Quit squirming" "No, let me go, untie me now, I have to rescue Wanda" "In case you haven't noticed, you yourself are in need of rescuing Pietro" ~flash~  
  
.familiar faces.  
  
"Ruckus, untie me now, or my father will be hearing about this" "Why Pietro my dear boy, I already know" "Father? Father, I have to go back, you shouldn't have left Wanda there, she didn't want to stay, I made a promise" "Ruckus, go ready the machine"  
  
.a machine.  
  
"Father, listen to me, I can't leave Wanda there, and neither should you be able to, she's your daughter, you shouldn't make her stay places she doesn't want to. Untie me!" "But Pietro this is for her own good, she's happy there" "How can you say that? You're messed up do you know that? You can't watch me all day, I'll escape and go save her and we're gunna go somewhere far away from you" "If you remember." "What do you mean if I remember? I'm not likely to.what's that? Oh no, you're not strapping me to that thi." ~flash~  
  
.waking up.  
  
~flash~ "Huh, Ow my head, I can't believe you hit me.why can't I blink? This is really uncomfortable" "Do stop complaining Pietro. We are simple going to watch a video and I don't want you missing any of it. Ruckus, is it ready?" "Yes sir" "We're watching a video so you've wired my eyes open? GET ME OUT OF HERE! Where are you going? Don't leave.Wow, the telly's gone all swirly.pretty colours.twirling." ~flash~  
  
What was that about? Wanda.isn't happy at the institution place? But she said in her letter.more voices, coming down the stairs.  
  
"But sir, don't you think what you're doing is more on the cruel side, than kind?" Vertigo, but what's she talking about?  
  
"Vertigo, are you wimping out on us?"" Ruckus, god I hate him.  
  
"No, I don't think it's right to get the kids hopes up that's all, I mean, Pietro's gunna really believe Wanda's coming home next month" What? What are they talking about?  
  
"Vertigo, you were aware of the full plan before we began and you decided to commit to it." Magneto's voice, but what plan?  
  
"Yes Sir, I understand, I wasn't trying to back out, it's just that, well, he's always so happy when her receives what he thinks is a letter from his sister so I was just considering how the child will react when he finds out they're all a hoax"  
  
WHAT??? The letters aren't really from Wanda, but no it can't be. It's Wanda's handwriting and.and.and.NO I WON'T ACCEPT IT!  
  
Magneto stopped cold in the stairwell, staring at Pietro.  
  
"PIETRO! What are you doing down here?" He demanded. I can't think, I'm numb, Wanda's not happy, and Magneto.he, he tricked me.  
  
"You know you're not supposed to be down here," How did he get down here so fast? I thought I was the one with super speed.  
  
"You lied to me, Wanda's not happy where she is, she begged you not to leave her there, they had to drag her in and.and YOU LET THEM!" I don't care he's at least five times the size of me, nor that he can break every bone in my body just like that. HE LIED TO ME! I have to go get Wanda. I have to rescue her." I think Magneto has figured out what I'm going to do.  
  
"SEAL THE DOORS"  
  
But he's too late, I'm already out of the castle.  
  
******* 


	4. Respect is for those too weak to command...

Pietro's Story: Part 2  
  
*******  
  
The scenery blurs as I speed through the landscape. How I manage to dodge all these trees I don't know, but I do. I've never pushed myself this hard and I run until I can run no longer and collapse in an exhausted heap on the ground. My head is pounding and my muscles feel like they're on fire. I can feel my body twitching and yet I also feel apart from it, my breathing now quick gasps. "What's happening to me? I feel." A sharp pain to my chest stops me mid sentence. My body, it feels like it's breaking apart. As I lie in agony, other memories, suppressed most probably by THAT MAN, come flooding back to me.  
  
*******  
  
"Father! FATHER"  
  
*******  
  
"Mama, what's wrong?" Wanda's childish voice permeates my sleep. The images become clearer. The night we left.  
  
"We have to leave this place" Memory me sits up and groggily watches Mama yank a jumper on over Wanda's head, and pulls her jeans on for her, since her hands were wrapped up in bandages and she couldn't dress herself.  
  
"Why Mama?" I ask, stumbling over to my sister's bed and sitting next to her. A large purple mark, shaped like a hand marks Mama's wrist and her eyes are red rimmed.  
  
"You father, well, he." I decide to help her.  
  
"He's insane" Mama stares at me in shock, before nodding and grabbing the nearest clothing item of mine, my black trousers, and handed them to me, to pull on over my 'The Flash' Pajama jumpsuit. Then she opened a backpack I hadn't noticed she was carrying and crammed as many items of clothing of mine and Wanda's in as she could.  
  
"You're only just figuring this out now?" I ask, buttoning up one of my shirts.  
  
"Is this because of my accident?" Wanda asked softly looking down at the white bandage lumps on her hands. Mama stops packing and hugs Wanda.  
  
"Yes, but that was not your fault, do you understand?" Wanda nodded, though unconvinced, "My sweet, it wasn't your fault, your father did something to you that caused it to happen, if you have to blame someone, blame him okay?" Wanda thinks for a moment before smiling at Mama and nodding.  
  
*******  
  
"Mama, I wish you were here now, you never would have let any of this happen," I can feel a tear roll down my face as the pain increases, "You always knew what to do,"  
  
*******  
  
"Mama, what are we going to do now?" Wanda asked finally. After traveling by night for a long time, by train, truck and boat, stowing away on all, our small group had arrived in the USA. I couldn't care less at that point. I felt horrible, and just wanted to lie down in a nice warm bed.  
  
"We're going to a friend of mine's house, so we can wait till Pietro's better." I open my eyes from my perch on Mama's back to see Wanda looking at me with a worried expression. I smile at her and she smiles back.  
  
We come to a large wall and a brick gate. Mama 'spirits' us through the gate and up to the front door. She places me on the ground and Wanda grabs onto me, inadvertently holding me up. We hide behind Mama's legs as she knocks on the door. It's very late into the night so it is some time before the door is answered.  
  
"Magda?"  
  
"Hello Charles, may we come in?" He frowns for a moment before noticing Wanda and I, I don't think we hid that well. His frown turns into a smile and he moves aside to let us in.  
  
"Of course," We all enter the house and Mama picks me up again. I rest my head on her shoulder, and attempt to sleep.  
  
"I'm so sorry to barge in on you like this Charles but we had no where else to go, and we can't keep going on with Pietro sick." Charles nods his head.  
  
"Why don't you put them in the downstairs spare bedroom, and we can have a little talk in private"  
  
Even though I can't see him, from the way he said 'talk' I know he probably wants to know why we're here and not at home with daddy. After a bit of walking Mama puts me down, takes off my shoes and tucks me into a huge bed. She kisses Wanda and me on the forehead and leaves the room.  
  
I wriggle further down into the nice warm bed and watch Wanda attempt to remove her shoes. She still hasn't mastered the art of undoing shoes before attempting to remove them so she basically just tugged at them until each one came off, the second one came off with a force so big she went tumbling off the bed. I would have laughed had my throat not hurt so much. Wanda scrambled back onto the bed and crawled in next to me.  
  
*******  
  
"Charles? Professor something.Xavier, I'd even settle for him right now, even though he did put us in the room of death. He was so nice." The world is becoming dark, and I'm glad, an escape from the pain. I have the faint sensation of soaring through the air at a high speed, then I pass out, the memories still playing.  
  
*******  
  
"Ah Pietro, It's good to see you up and about again, do you want some breakfast?" I nod sleepily and climb up onto one of the chairs surrounding a long table.  
  
There are several other people besides Mama, the professor and Wanda. There are some teenagers fighting over who will get the last sausage, before a pretty dark-skinned lady enters the room with a whole tray more. An angry looking man beats them all to the tray by stabbing the contents with his claws. I like his claws better than Sabertooth's these look more professional and a lot cleaner, like an eating fork.  
  
"Oh Sausages" *SLAP* "Ow whaddya do that for Mama?" Mama stares at me like I know the answer already. I don't so I just sit there rubbing my hand in mock pain, hoping she let me have them out of sympathy.  
  
She doesn't.  
  
"Ok, I'll just have some bacon then," *SLAP* "Eggs?" Pause, Pause, Pause *SLAP* "Toast?" she nods.  
  
It's not fair Wanda gets to eat whatever she wants why can't I?  
  
"Mama it's not fair, Wanda gets to eat whatever she wants why can't I?" She rolls her eyes.  
  
"Pie honey, you know with your metabolism if you eat fatty foods like that you'll end up dying of a heart attack before you're 17" Oh, she's going on about that again!  
  
"Maggie, you have to go easier on the boy, I know you want to protect him, but scaring him won't help, he'll just try and prove you wrong" Mama seems to be considering it, but then shakes her head. Charles nods in understanding.  
  
"I understand and I. hey what's that over there?" He said pointing, she looks and suddenly there's a sausage on my plate. I stuff the whole thing in my mouth just as Mama turns around.  
  
"I didn't see any. Pietro, what do you have in your mouth?" She glares at me suspiciously.  
  
"Nowwing"  
  
She looks at me for a second before turning to Charles and.*SLAP*  
  
"Hey, that's not fair, you did look away, that sausage could have gotten on to his plate any number of ways," Wanda and I nod. Mama rolls her eyes at the three of us and leaves the dining room. Charles winks at us.  
  
*******  
  
I can feel consciousness returning to me, and it's not so bad, I'm still in pain, But the cool metal beneath me help a bit. I lie still and think of how great it is to be free of.. wait a minute, cold metal?  
  
"YOU EVIL, LYING CHEATING JERK! LET ME GO!" I pound uselessly on the walls of the room once dubbed the 'hissy fit' room.  
  
"When I get out of here, I'm gunna save Wanda and she's going to kill you for what you've done, and I'm not going to do a god dammed thing about it."  
  
"You're deluding yourself, I am all powerful, and none can beat me." Magneto's voice enters the chamber from a source unknown.  
  
"You're wrong, she can beat you, that's why you had her locked away, because she wouldn't submit to you."  
  
"You're wrong, she was out of control, and she was a danger to herself. " Magneto was beginning to get angry; he knows I'm right.  
  
"Ha, that's a dead give away, you've never cared whether we lived or died before, so why should you care if she harms herself. You got scared, so you locked her up, hoping she'd die of a broken heart. You can't keep her locked up forever, one of these days she's going to get out and come after you for all you've done to her and I'm just going to laugh, because you brought this on yourself."  
  
"No you're not, ready the machine"  
  
"What machine?"  
  
Ruckus enters the room and grabs me whilst I was still off in panic land, and hurries down the hall to Magneto's lab, "Where are you taking me? What's tha.."  
  
The last thing Pietro experienced before he blacked out was a flash of red light, and a surge of searing pain.  
  
"Open the hatch" Smoke poured from the now open door, as a small figure resembling pietro emerged. Vertigo gasped in shock. The expression on his normally animated face was blank, his eyes dull. Magneto only smiled.  
  
"Pietro," the boy turned his head towards his father, "retrieve me that plank of wood"  
  
Pietro brisquly walked to the plank, picked it up and began carrying it back, hands slightly shaking. When he reached Magneto his hands were shaking so much that he dropped the wood. Magneto critically studied his son.  
  
"You dropped the wood even though I told you to bring it to me." Pietro looked like his world was crashing down around him, Magneto observed Pietro's shaking hands, "You're shaking, why?"  
  
"I am scared of what you are going to do with this plank of wood" Magneto frowned and Vertigo saw him write on a sheet of paper, emotions interfere with mind control, eliminate. He turned back to the boy.  
  
"You may go now Pietro."  
  
"Yes sir" he muttered leaving the room. Vertigo watched him leave with mixed fear and anger. She turned to Magneto.  
  
"You're controlling peoples minds now are you? When will it stop?" She seethed, fighting to keep her full anger in check, lest she face Magneto's wrath. He turned to her, with an expression that gave the impression he hadn't heard her tone.  
  
"Never" Vertigo stared at his calm face in shock, before storming out of the testing room.  
  
******* 


	5. For my angels

Magda's Story: Prologue  
  
********  
  
I have no sense of time any more. Day, night, Monday, Thursday, These labels all escape me for all I know now is this room. The cold stone walls that surround me, the bleak steel door that mocks me. If it were not there I would be free. If only it would obey my commands to dissolve, I could escape. If only I could walk through the walls to the outside world, to freedom. Though it would seem like a miracle if it happened, I would still curse it, for it would mean I have finally gone mad.  
  
I am surprised I still remain sane, trapped like an animal for all this time, me, who could never go a day without setting foot outside, if only for a moment. But everyday I fight. Fight to live, to maintain control over my mind and fight to escape. The number of times I have scraped my fingers raw and bleeding in hopes of reducing the filler between the bricks, I have lost count.  
  
I have long ago given up hope of escaping through the door, to many painful captures has taught me that it is hopeless. But I will never give up my determination of escaping. I must. Escape is the first thing I think of in the morning and the second last thing I think of at night. The last being my three children, Anya, Wanda and Pietro.  
  
Every night, I pray that my oldest daughter is happy and safe wherever she is, and that she never looks back at her father and myself, for it would crush her to see what we have become. Every night I pray my younger daughter and only son, are as far away from here, and him as possible.  
  
My three angels are the only things that keep me sane. I hold on for them. If I could just escape, then I could find my two remaining earth bound angels then everything would be all right again. I don't know how anything could be okay again, but I know that if I could only get to them, even if they never knew it, it would be. It has to be.  
  
******** 


	6. Memories of a prisoner

Magda's Story: Part 1  
  
********  
  
I met Erik Lensherr when I was.. confined to the same living quarters during the war, I still remember the scared, sad little boy he used to be. Perhaps, in some small delusional part of me, I still see him that way, all alone, and in need of someone, despite his protests, to love him. I know now that that boy is lost forever, buried, no crushed under the weight of the too many bad memories. But back then, I foolishly retained hope, that if I kept trying to reach him, kept loving him, he'd return to the person he was.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
"Why are you crying?" The older boy jerked and hurriedly wiped his eyes.  
  
"I'm not. Why are you so nosy?" He snapped. Tears filled my eyes.  
  
"I was..just." He narrowed his eyes at me.  
  
"Look, I want to be alone, just go away," He turned away from me. "Oh no, you're hurt" I grabbed the edge of his, apparently-not-red shirt.  
  
"I'm .fine" I may have been young, but I recognized a crying-voice-break anywhere.  
  
"But you're bleeding"  
  
"It's not mine, just leave me alone!" he didn't sound very convincing, especially when his last words came out rather wavery. It also didn't help, that in the middle of glaring at me, he began to cry.  
  
"Let go of my shirt," I answered by planting myself on top of his legs, preventing escape.  
  
"No, you're sad, and I don't want you to be, you should be happy"  
  
"Happy? In this place? Are you insane?"  
  
"My papa says that.hey, where is your papa and mama?"  
  
***End flashback***  
  
This was the first step towards Magneto, his first major loss, but not his last. Years later, after the two American men rescued us, we were married and soon after were the proud parents of a baby girl, who we named Anya. She was quickest thing I'd ever seen Erik bond to. He loved her more than life itself, which, whilst wonderful, can also be dangerous. Erik had always had a talent for controlling metal, and whilst he kept his gift well hidden, it was just a matter of time before someone found out. Unfortunately, that someone was the so-called Friends Of Humanity.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
I had been in the kitchen preparing desert for later that day. Anya stood on a chair and leaned against the counter 'helping' me, by licking all discarded utensils clear of their chocolaty goodness.  
  
"Mama, when's Papa coming home?" I could feel myself smiling at that, the 7th time she's asked me since he'd left for work that morning.  
  
"Soon sweetheart" I replied. The sound of the door opening behind us caused Anya to squeal in delight, as she hopped off her chair and ran as fast as her little legs would carry her. But I could hear no greetings. I didn't even have time to turn around before I was knocked unconscious.  
  
When I came to, I was on the street outside. Night had fallen, but it wasn't dark, it was the middle of winter, but it was surprisingly hot. A stirring alerted me to the presence of Erik, who seemed as baffled as I was to what was going on. That's when I turned to face the sight that would remain with me the rest of my life. Our cozy 2 story house was now a blazing inferno, with Anya nowhere in sight.  
  
"Maggie, where's Anya?" The question echoed through my mind. A cruel laugh pervaded my thoughts  
  
"For a superior being, you're not that bright, are you Erik?" A man dressed from head to toe in black, face covered with a mask approached us. Sereval more appeared from the darkness. "Don't worry, we know exactly where she is. She's exactly where she should be, locked away in her room."  
  
"No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO!" I realize I'm hysterical, but I don't care.  
  
"No, ANYA!" Erik called to the house, and began to scramble towards it. So focused on his task, he didn't notice the 2 FOH members before it was too late. He lay dazed on the ground after two particularly hard hits, but didn't hesitate to get back up.  
  
"Let me pass or die" he hissed. The FOH group laughed. The assumed leader spoke up  
  
"You've been unconscious for a good couple of hours Erik, your abomination of a child has long since perished."  
  
"You're lying, let me pass" He began forward, expecting an attack. The leader waved them away.  
  
"Let him pass, it'll do him no good, maybe if we're lucky, he'll die too" Erik didn't wait for the end of the sentence, he bolted into the inferno.  
  
It seemed like an eternity waiting, much in shock to move, for him to return.  
  
The building that was once our home began to crumble and I thought that I'd lost them both. That was, until a near by street sign decided to uproot itself and implant itself through the leaders chest.  
  
He stared in shock at the metal pole sticking out of his torso, but I'm pretty sure he was mostly dead by then, it got him straight through the heart, or so I guessed from the red heart shaped organ adorning the end of the pole.  
  
I saw Erik next holding something wrapped in blankets, the fire in his eyes almost brighter than the one that had claimed our home. The other friends of humanity people realized to late what was happening. I'd never seen a human brain before that night, and I hoped to never again. Sirens sounded in the distance, and Erik, once he was sure every FOH member was dead, hurriedly grabbed me by the arm and we ran.  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
Authors note:  
  
Thanks go out to Nari, for reminding me that, yes this story does still exist and no I haven't posted in a while, Evolutionary Spider, you have her to thank for me actually posting this half chapter before the rest was written, and to all my reviewers, I wouldn't have continued if I didn't know that people were enjoying it, cause I know what happens, but that you all wanted to know too? You can all thank yourselves for this too. Gosh listen to me, I sound like I've just won an Academy award or something (I'd like to thank the academy *sniff sob*.). 


	7. A new beginning

Disclaimer: If I haven't already mentioned this, I don't own X-men evolution..big surprise there huh?  
  
Pietro's Story: Part 3  
  
*******  
  
The next year became a blur of experiments and headaches for Pietro. By the time they stopped, he was more an automated program than a person. Magneto finally had what he always wanted, a perfect little soldier to do his bidding, with no mind of his own. Magneto thought Pietro would be perfect now, but he was wrong, with no free will, if anything unexpected came up, the boy froze. So Magneto disposed of him.  
  
*******  
  
"Where am I?" Everything's blurry and my head..actually I feel fine, so why is everything blurry and. "Forget that, who am I?"  
  
I'm sure I know this one, I'm..  
  
My name is..  
  
I'm ..  
  
"Dammit" Everything's becoming clearer now, I'm in a large room, on the wooden floor. There's a kitchen over by the far wall and a small bed against the other. That's it.  
  
"Is this where I live? This sucks, I don't live here? Do I?" I stand and walk around the bare apartment. The walls aren't even covered, just plain red brick stares back at me and the door looks like something you'd find at a mental institution.  
  
No.help.leave.girl  
  
Whoa, I think I almost remembered something..no it's gone, dammit. I walk to the kitchen to see if there's anything to eat, I'm not particularly hungry, just searching for some sign that someone lives here, some reminder of my possible life before this. There's a note stuck to the fridge.  
  
--READ THIS-- it says..hey what do you know I can read. May as well open it.  
  
-- No doubt you cannot remember anything. That is to be expected.--  
  
Expected of what? And who the hell wrote me this.no name at the bottom, hey maybe I wrote this, and I knew I was going to forget everything; hey I must be pretty smart  
  
-- Your name is Pietro Maximoff --  
  
Pie-Tro, what the heck type of a name is pie-tro? What's that written beside it?  
  
-- Pronounced 'P-A-tro' --  
  
Pietro, that sounds a bit better, I really did think of everything didn't I!  
  
-- You are 14 years old. You are a mutant --  
  
Mutant? What's a mutant?  
  
-- Your power is super speed. You are different from the normal people, superior never forget that --  
  
Super speed? I'll try but I don't think this is gunna.OW Stupid wall.hey I'm on the other side of the room I am fast!  
  
-- One day I will come for you.--  
  
Ok looks like I didn't write this. And what's with that 'I will come for you' stuff, what was I a servant? I'll never figure this out.  
  
"May as well go out and look around, seems like I'm gunna be stuck here for a while" And with that, out the door I go.  
  
********  
  
"20, 30, 50, 60, 70, 120, 130, 140, wow $150, not bad for an hours work" I mutter to myself as I count the money I acquired from accidentally-bumping- into-people-and-having-their-money-somehow-work-its-way-into-my-pocket. I grabbed another muffin from my backpack, which I outright swiped from the local convenience store.  
  
Ever since I woke up in my apartment I've been stealing what I need and having a grand old time doing pretty much anything I want. It feels like forever since I 'arrived' here, when actually it's probably only been a week. One of the drawbacks of this whole super speed thing, I found, is that I can't turn it off. I came to realize very quickly that there are too many hours in a day. I need something to do.  
  
"Excuse me young man" Ask and thou shall receive. I turn to find a police officer standing over me.  
  
"Yes Officer" I say sweetly, having stashed the money away the minute I heard the first syllable  
  
"Why aren't you in school?" School?  
  
"I don't know sir." He's looking at me as if that weren't the truth. I've got half a mind to tell him so but he's clamped his hand down on my shoulder and set a disapproving stare on me.  
  
"I think you'd better come with me." This can't be good.  
  
We take a ride in his squad car down to the police station where he begins to try and figure me out.  
  
"So, what are your parent's names?"  
  
"What's it to you? "I hate being asked questions I don't know the answers to.  
  
"I have to call them to come pick you up, now their names are?"  
  
"Fine if you must know, I don't have any" He looks at me with annoyance.  
  
"We'll just see what the state files have to say about that. What's your name?"  
  
"Pietro Maximoff"  
  
"Ok, Maximoff, Maximoff, Ah here we are, Pietro Maximoff, Parents."  
  
"Yes." Hey the computer might know how I ended up this way, I might just have to come back later tonight and have a look.  
  
"Deceased, sorry kid, but I have to check, you could have been lying. No listed guardian either."  
  
He begins to look through other files, wards of the state I think, I couldn't care less, I'm trying to figure out a good break in plan for tonight. Ok got one.still bored. Dam this super speed can be annoying sometimes.  
  
"Hey kid!" I'm startled, but he looks as if he's been waiting a while, "Come on, we're going to go enroll you at PS104" I follow blindly.  
  
What's a PS104?  
  
*******  
  
Ok yesterday when I asked for something to do, I meant a new store to rob, or a sale at the mall, so I could pick up a TV. This is cruel and unusual punishment. Whoever thought this torture up should be shot.  
  
"Class this is Pietro Maximoff" A few of the kids sniggered, I'll get them, their lunch money is so gone, "Pietro, would you like to say a few things?" What is she nuts?  
  
"What are you nuts?" A few more sniggers. She looks a bit rattled and annoyed, the regains her composure and points to a seat at the back of the room.  
  
"Very well Mr Maximoff, you can take that seat at the back, next to Mr. Daniels." I grab my bag and make my way to the back of the class and sit down. The teacher begins the lesson and I take out my notebook and proceed to draw tiny caricatures of 'The Flash'. After my page is full, I look at the clock. 9:01. Well, that filled a minute, only, 359 more to go.  
  
After four more minutes, I'm ready to bolt, or at least hang myself.  
  
"Class, turn to page 6 in your text books and do exercises 2 through 10," everyone groaned then began to take their books out and the teacher stared directly at me, "Mr. Maximoff, please take out your text book and do the work assigned."  
  
"Would if I could, but I can't, seeing as I don't have one" Did she just roll her eyes at me? She lets out a frustrated sigh.  
  
"Daniels, Share with Maximoff" The kid beside me moves his desk beside mine and puts his book between us.  
  
Hmm, Algebra, interesting.I return to drawing cartoon characters on my page.  
  
A shadow fell over my page. I clear my throat subtly hinting to whoever dare, to stop blocking my light but they don't move. I look up.  
  
"Mr. Maximoff, would you kindly explain why you aren't doing the assigned work?" She asks icily. Some of the students turn in their seats to view the anticipated roasting they think I'm about to get.  
  
"Finished them"  
  
"There is no way you could have finished all the problems, let me see your book" She flicks through the pages and frowns, "Maximoff, Daniels, you're both on detention" Daniels looks up from his work shocked  
  
"What'd I do?" She increases her frown, "You know very well what you've done, I'll see you both in room 12 after school" Daniels glares at me as she walks away.  
  
********  
  
I don't think Daniels likes me very much; he hasn't stopped glaring at me since we got to detention, a whole 2 minutes ago. Our math teacher just locked us in this room together and told us she'd be back at 5. Great locked in a room with a guy who won't talk to me. I can't take it anymore.  
  
"What is your problem?" He has a look of shock on his face.  
  
"My problem? You're the one with the problem, you got me detention for what you did, the least you could have done was tell her I had nothing to do with it."  
  
"No I believe I did the least I could do, what you suggest would be doing something." He goes to say something but can't think of anything, so he just sits there and sulks.  
  
Ten minutes pass, and I've already walked around the entire room 6 times, filled 15 pages with drawings and stared at Daniels. I think he's getting annoyed with me.  
  
"I'm missing basketball practice because of you," He looks at me as if his statement is meant to mean something.  
  
"What's basketball?"  
  
"You're kidding right?"  
  
"No"  
  
"Where the hell are you from, outer space?" Maybe, anything's possible, "Ya know, basketball, two hoops, one ball a bunch of players, basketball?"  
  
"So what are these players meant to do with these balls and hoops?"  
  
"You're not joking are you?" I shake my head, "Well, ok, basketball is a game where."  
  
The rest of the detention involved talk of basketball, and ended with me being dragged to what was left of Daniels' practice. These people are so bad, I mean I could do better than them. That note was right I must be superior, cause I know I can do better than these guys and I hadn't even heard of the game till this afternoon. I met with Daniels after the practice.  
  
"So now do you get it?" He asked, coming out of the locker rooms. We walk together out of the school.  
  
"Well yes, but the goal of the game is to put the ball through the hoop, right?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"And you were playing a game then right?  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Then you lot really suck, I mean I could do better than that"  
  
"Yeah sure you could"  
  
"I could, I know it. I could beat you and the whole team with my arm tied behind my back, well maybe not that, but blindfolded defiantly."  
  
"Well if you think you're so great, why don't you try out for the team? I'm certain you won't be able to get in though"  
  
"Oh, sounds like a challenge"  
  
********  
  
AN: You all once again have Nari to thank for this, for it was her who guilted me (unintentionally) into posting this, and of course as always, yourselves for reading this and showing me there is still an interest, you are all legends to me!!! 


	8. A fresh start

Magda's Story: Part 2  
  
The next part is hard for me to remember, but not for the lack of clarity, I remember every second of it like it was yesterday.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
I have no idea exactly how long we ran for, or more precisely he ran and I got dragged along, but when we stopped night had come and gone and it was already into the next day. Erik had said nothing besides the occasional 'We'd better stop and wait a bit' and 'This way' and now my shock induced stupor had passed, leaving me only with a painful need to wake up from this bad dream, the silence was really starting to unnerve me.  
  
"Erik, where are we going?" he continued to stare ahead like he hadn't heard me, adjusting the blanketed bundle in his arms. On remembering it was present, tears filled my eyes, "That's Anya isn't it? I." I thought I couldn't cry anymore, but sobs chocked the words out of me as Erik stared down at our daughter, "Please say something."  
  
"We need to get her to a doctor," He mumbled in a dead tone voice, "We need to get to safety then we need to get a doctor."  
  
"She's still alive? That's great, but.she.she isn't moving.why isn't she moving? Let me see" I moved towards him, but, seeming very much like a caged forest animal he jumped away.  
  
"NO! You shouldn't see, she's," something flashed in his eyes, "She's not dead, she's just hurt. Everything will be ok, we just have to get to safety, then we need.we need to get a.doctor" He doesn't sound so sure anymore.  
  
"But."  
  
"EVERYTHING IS FINE" He roared. I've never heard him so angry, it scares me. I retreat a bit from him, until I hit a tree. He looks so surprised, and almost frightened, like he didn't mean to say that but he couldn't stop himself. He looks at me, and I see that scared, lost little boy I first met in Poland looking back at me, lost for words. He tries to say something, but then everything changes. His face turns blank, and his eyes become cold with indifference.  
  
"We have to keep moving," he turns and faces the direction we were heading, the sparse trees that we are currently in grow thicker ahead, like a blanket of green and brown, we're defiantly no where near town anymore.  
  
"Erik, I think.."  
  
"We have to keep moving" And with that, he took off again, with my only choice at the time, to follow blindly.  
  
*******  
  
We finally arrived at a huge castle in the middle of the woods. Erik led me inside.  
  
"We'll be safe here," The large entrance hall was drafty and dark, adding to the already very imposing feel of the strange castle.  
  
"Are we suppose to be here?" the fear was plain to hear in my voice. It wasn't so much the castle that scared me so, rather the way the shadows brought out the deadpan look on my husbands face.  
  
"A person I met through work owns this place," When no further explanation was offered I began to get worried. Although Erik was a great scientist his focus on mutation genetics and its affects on biological and neurological functioning brought him into contact with some of the more notorious mutant criminals, and I highly doubted that a fellow scientist would have a need, or a want for a spooky castle in the middle of a forest in Germany.  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
No, the difficult part lies in the events. I would gladly erase that whole section of my life from my memory, if not for one thing.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
The next few weeks were spent under a tense silence, during which I only ever saw Erik during our one meal of the day. The rest of the time I spent exploring the castle's upper levels, which, surprisingly were somewhat furnished. I found a grouping of four bedrooms, an extremely bare bathroom and a study, which I decided, would be our house. The entire castle was too big to all be considered a home. Homes were supposed to bring people together, not give them so much space they need a road map to find each other.  
  
The first room I had planned out was for Erik and myself, if he ever snapped out of whatever phase he was in.  
  
The room two down from that was a room for Anya, for although I knew she was gone, I believed that her spirit still was with us and therefore deserved a room to call her own.  
  
The room across from that was going to be a guest room, because, once the mess we were in was cleared up, we'd have company and it would be impolite to house them so far away they might as well have never come at all.  
  
Then there was the fourth bedroom, directly across from the bedroom I had planned out for myself. My imagination had already fully furnished this room. The bed would be moved into the corner, and changed into a lounge, and next to it would be the crib. A toy box would go in the other corner and a rocking chair in the other, not so much for the baby's sake, as I loved them so much. A window would have to be cut out of the wall, because you can't have a nursery with out sunlight, or a light breeze on the hot summer nights.  
  
I always smiled at the thought of another child, I loved children so much, but also for the welcome distraction the new baby would bring. Being alone in this huge castle gives me nothing to do but think of the past, and that always brings me to Anya. With Erik totally withdrawn from me to the point of almost totally avoiding me, I needed this baby, so I would stop always thinking about myself and everything that's gone wrong in my life and start thinking about everything that is still right.  
  
The only problem was how to tell Erik.  
  
*******  
  
After another few weeks of stressing and fretting over how to tell my husband, I finally decided the best way.  
  
"Erik, I'm pregnant" Honesty is always the best policy. So why do I think I took the wrong route? A bread roll sticking halfway out of his mouth and the frozen blank look in his eyes was my first clue that I probably could have broken the news another way.  
  
He reached up and removed the roll from his mouth, but continued to stare at me.  
  
A self-conscious smile reached my lips, "Well aren't you going to say anything?"  
  
Something flashed in his eyes, and his stare turned into a half disbelieving, half curious look.  
  
"Really?" A sort of half smile crossed across his face at the same time, making him look like, to me, a confused puppy. The image made me laugh. I now wish I hadn't cause the cute puppy look turned indignation.  
  
"That's not something to joke about."  
  
"I'm not joking, you just looked so funny." I had hoped that he would see the funny side too, but he shifted back into blank mode.  
  
"I believe you," he got up and left without another word, and to my own surprise, I was relieved. I didn't want to believe it, but I felt like my own husband was a stranger to me now.  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
AN:  
  
So what do we all think of the new story title? Keep it or loose it? 


	9. Magneto is my captor

Magda's Story: Part 3  
  
The following months were no better than that lunch. Every time that I saw the real Erik, I would do something, or something would happen that would drive him away. I should have left, but I couldn't. I knew that he needed help, and I was the only one who knew about it.  
  
So it was up to me.  
  
But how do you go about saving someone from himself? I had no idea, but that never stopped me before.  
  
Heck, even here in this prison he keeps me in, god help me, I still want to fix him. But I know now, that I can't do it alone, the last time I tried, I was thrown in here. I need help, and to get that, I need to get out of here.  
  
It has been so long since I have been outside; I think I am starting to forget what it was like. Just to be outside, with nothing but the trees, grass and sky around me. I would love to be out there again.  
  
Who am I kidding? I would love to be anywhere but here, even if I was confined to the castle, at least I'd be able to pretty much come and go as I pleased, just like I used to.  
  
***Flashback***  
  
"I am so bored." Magda complained to the empty corridor, stretching her arms above her head and moving towards the foyer. She was about to head to the kitchen to get something to eat for the baby with the seemingly bottomless pit of a stomach, which was growing inside of her, when she heard the main doors creak open.  
  
'Probably the wind' she thought, which is why she got such a shock when she saw a blue skinned woman carrying a bundle of rags enter the room.  
  
"Um, can I help you?" Magda asked. The blue woman looked up from the blob in her arms. She looked exhausted, and on closer inspection Magda could see dirt and leaves in her bright red hair.  
  
"I'm looking for Erik Lensherr. He does live here, doesn't he?" she said, sounding as tired as she looked.  
  
"Yes, can I ask why you need to see him?"  
  
"Something happened where I used to live and we need a place to stay for a bit. I used to work with Erik." Magda nodded before something odd struck her.  
  
"We?" As if on cue, the rag bundle decided to babble incoherently. Magda walked over to look at the baby. She was a little startled to see it was blue, but regarding the mother again, it really made sense. "Well, it should be fine that you stay, Miss..."  
  
"Darkholme, Raven Darkholme."  
  
"Raven. Erik is through the corridor behind me, third door on the right." Raven nodded and hurried off.  
  
"Aww cute baby," Magda muttered to herself. In another weird coincidence, just as she said that, her stomach rumbled. "Alright, alright, I'm going. You know you could hurry up and come out and then people would be fawning over you and you wouldn't have to rely on me all the time for food." She paused as if expecting an answer. None came, so she sighed and headed off to the kitchen.  
  
After eating an embarrassing mount of food, Magda began to feel guilty and decided to go for a walk. She didn't bother to tell Erik where she was going, or to leave a note; she doubted that he would be looking for her. He just didn't seem to care anymore.  
  
Magda actually doubted that he knew she even still lived in the same castle as him anymore; he ate and slept in his lab, so she hardly ever saw him.  
  
After walking for around ten minutes, her legs and back decided that they'd had enough, so she lay back on the grass and stared up at the sky.  
  
"Hey, look baby, there's a cloud shaped like a duck. Oh and there's another that looks like a sheep. And there's another sheep. And another. And another. And ..."  
  
ZZZZZZZZZ  
  
An unknown amount of time later, her peaceful sleep was interrupted.  
  
"Excuse me miss, are you okay?" A mystery female asked, sounding rather worried. Magda rubbed her eyes and yawned.  
  
"Yes I'm fine, I must have fallen asleep, it is such a nice day out here." The mystery voice, which also had a cloaked body and tall frame to go with it, straightened up and moved away a bit.  
  
"Oh, I'm very sorry, I thought that...well, you are in the middle of the forest, alone, in a night gown and I thought you were...unconscious" The cloaked figure backed away slowly, eyes to the ground. Magda smiled brightly.  
  
"It's nice to know that there are people out there that are still looking out for me. Thank-you, I appreciate it."  
  
The figure jerked in shock and stopped backing away. "You're welcome." Magda struggled to rise from the ground; the figure moved forward and helped her up.  
  
"Gee thanks, you'd think I'd be used to this by now but I guess not. I could swear I wasn't this big with the last one. It's a real bother too, this nightgown is the only thing I have that even comes close to fitting anymore." Magda said pointing to her protruding stomach. The other lady regarded Magda for a moment, hesitant, before speaking.  
  
"I know it's none of my business but don't you think you should be taking it easy this close to its birth?" Magda cocked her head to one side and grinned.  
  
"It's ok I appreciate your concern but I don't think I can stay in bed for the next three months. I can hardly stay inside the castle during the day, let alone a bed."  
  
"You're only 6 months along?" At Magda's nod, the other lady thought for a moment, the let out an understanding 'oh'. "You're having twins then?"  
  
Magda froze. "Ahhh..."  
  
"You're having two babies. It would make since if you're only 6 months along and that big."  
  
"Ahhh..."  
  
The other lady smiled, unseen under her cloak. "I take it that you hadn't considered the possibility?"  
  
The question seemed to snap Magda out of her haze. "Two? You really think so?"  
  
The hood nodded.  
  
"Maybe I just put on weight and most of this is fat."  
  
The other lady looked at Magda's stick figure arms and shook her head. Magda's face started to lose color and the cloaked figure reached out, ready to catch her.  
  
"I'm fine," She said, sounding totally unconvincing coupled with the off-in- the-distance stare and the gaping mouth. The figure giggled, amused.  
  
"Still, I think I'd better take you home, even the possibility is quite a shock I'm sure. Where do you live?" Magda vaguely pointed towards the looming castle on the hill. The figure froze for a second, before regaining her composure and steering the stunned pregnant woman up the hill. After a few minutes of walking in silence Magda was still stewing over the possibility of two babies.  
  
"Exactly how certain are you I'm going to have twins?" She asked  
  
The cloak lady was momentarily startled, as she had gotten used to the silence, then answered. "Extremely certain, it's what I do."  
  
"You walk around the woods estimating how many children people are going to have?" A laugh came out from underneath the hood.  
  
"No, I deliver babies. I mostly do animals these days, but I've done a fair share of humans too. Trust me, you'd better start making adjustments for two children."  
  
So that's what she did. The next two weeks after her meeting with the mystery lady, she re-planned the baby's room to accommodate two cribs and two sets of toys, with not a drop of pink or blue in sight.  
  
'I should have asked that lady whether she thought the babies were going to be boys or girls. Actually now I really wish I had asked her her name' Magda thought. She had hoped that the Raven lady would stay a bit longer, so she would have someone to talk to, but about three days after she arrived, she disappeared. Erik said she left, but she hadn't mentioned anything about leaving when Magda had talked to her the day before.  
  
Strange.  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
I later found out that Raven was an international terrorist. However I couldn't find any mention of her having a baby anywhere.  
  
Speaking of having a baby...  
  
The mysterious figure was right. I had two. I'm lucky in that I don't remember most of it, I was out walking, then there was pain, and then darkness. The next thing I remember I was in the mystery lady's hut, whose name was Bova, and there were two little red wrinkly things in bundles next to the bed.  
  
Along with Erik.  
  
She said that she had sent someone to tell him where I was after it was all over.  
  
It was this day that keeps me going. Because of it, I know that the man he used to be is still in there. In the following years I caught him doing this and, although the occasions were rare, as I didn't want to risk being seen, they gave me hope.  
  
He was watching them sleep, and smiling.  
  
Yes, smiling, not smirking or evilly grinning, but smiling.  
  
That has to mean something right? Well it does to me, so I won't give up. So long as the man I love is still trapped by the entity I've come to know as Magneto, the cold and distant man bent on the domination of mutant-kind.  
  
The same man who, through secret nightly experiments, gave me my unique 'gift' to manipulate my own molecules and through physical contact, the molecules of others.  
  
The man who took my children away from me, and told them god knows what.  
  
The man who made sure my 'powers' couldn't break through this cell, so close to the ones I love, and yet so far at times.  
  
Magneto is my captor and my enemy, not Erik; he's as much a victim in this as I am.  
  
I just hope someone else will notice it and help bring back the man I love.  
  
AN:  
  
Well that should be the last chapter covering Magda's memories, I was going to go further, but I'm going to try and get back to Pietro and Wanda now. Sorry for all you out there who got bored of Pie and Wanda's mummy (Heck I did and I'm writing it! (See my story 'Hell on earth' for what I did to avoid writing more Magda chapters)), I didn't mean for her to take over the story, I just needed some things to be explained and couldn't think of a better way to do it.  
  
The good news is, I have a copy of 'Speed and Spyke' now so I should be able to catch Pie up to Wanda's section of the story, but sadly no 'Day of Reckoning' copy yet (Yes even though I started this between seeing 'Hex factor' and 'Day of reckoning', my stupid continuity muse in my brain made me fit it in).  
  
Thanks go out to all my reviews and loyal readers, and I'm so sorry for making you all wait, but this story now has an ending written all up, all I gotta do is get there!!  
  
And special thanks go out to Nari for proof reading this for me, without her, my website would be rather bare and this story would be confusing. Go read her stories they're really good! (Pen name: Nari1)  
  
Okay enough from me, 'Till next time! 


End file.
